Where Kogler wants to save money

Greens: Hands off climate protection measures

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Green Party leader Werner Kogler demands: The climate bonus must stay. Instead, he would like to see intervention in climate-hostile actions. 

Werner Kogler may be a linguistic artist, but he is no illusionist. "I know that we can't claim to be in government after our election result," said the leader of the Greens and Vice-Chancellor yesterday. And presented quasi "green zones" in the area of economic policy for the coming years and possible, albeit currently rather unrealistic, negotiations for an upcoming three-party coalition.

If Kogler has his way, the climate bonus should remain - but anti-climate actions should be punished.

(Bild: Karl Schöndorfer)

Foreign countries are interested in the red-white-red model
Savings need to be made, according to Kogler and his back-up, budget spokesman Jakob Schwarz. The Greens made it clear that savings must be made without cutting investments in climate protection measures. The climate bonus, which was recently put up for discussion (by Tyrol's ÖVP provincial leader Anton Mattle, among others, but also by some experts) must remain. The climate bonus would primarily help poorer people as compensation for the CO2 price, which would rise in the future. "Countries like Germany and Sweden are interested in our model."

Away from the "European traffic circle"
It would be much more important to intervene in climate-hostile measures such as concreting and more freeways. Kogler: "Austria is already the traffic circle of Europe." We could save 2.4 billion a year here. There is also a lot to be gained from federalism. Everyone knows that. But who will teach the federal states?